The effectiveness of a group-based

tutorial direct instruction program

with a Canadian-Aboriginal and

non-Aboriginal sample of children

in care. Dr. Julie Harper*

Lakehead University

&

Dr. Fred Schmidt

Children’s Centre Thunder Bay & Lakehead University

13th EUSARF Conference in Copenhagen

September 3, 2014

* Now affiliated with the IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Tutoring Toward Success: Steering

Committee

Rachel Adduono (Dilico Anishinabek Family Care) Mary Simbeya (Dilico Anishinabek Family Care) Bobbi Fletcher (Dilico Anishinabek Family Care) Jennifer Hyslop (Dilico Anishinabek Family Care) Tammy Kuluski (Scheduling Consultant) Susan Jones (Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder

Bay) Bruce Probizanski (Children’s Aid Society of the District of

Thunder Bay) Gail Quirion (Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder

Bay) Susan Shipston (Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder

Bay) Fred Schmidt (Children’s Centre Thunder Bay) Julie Harper (Lakehead University)

Research Consultant: Dr. Robert Flynn (University of Ottawa) Tutoring Consultant: Michael Maloney (Teach Your Children Well)

Academic Needs

• Needs of Children in Long Term

Alternative Care:

– Perform below grade level (see Trout et al., 2008 for review).

– Fewer foster children graduate from high school (Courtney,

Pillavin, Grogan-Kaylor, & Nesmith, 2001).

– Higher rates of suspensions and grade retention (Casey et

al., 2008).

Academic Needs: Canada & Ontario

• In Canada:

– Higher rates of suspensions and grade retention (Flynn & Biro, 1998).

– Lower scores on reading, spelling, and math (Flynn et

al., 2004).

– Aboriginal children in continuing care at risk of

academic deficits (Mitic & Rimer, 2002).

• In Ontario:

– Lower high school completion rates for crown wards.

– Less likely to attend post secondary programs.(OACAS, 2011).

Direct Instruction (DI)

• One of top 3 effective models (Borman et al., 2003).

• DI teaches phonetic skills to increase phonological

awareness.

• DI improves academic achievement for students

with learning disabilities (Borman et al., 2003), and high

risk children (Cole, Dale, Mills, & Jenkins, 1993).

• Results of Teach Your Children Well (TYCW)

studies (Flynn et al., 2012).

Current Study

• The current study built off initial work conducted

by Dr. Bob Flynn and colleagues using the Teach

Your Children Well (TYCW) program.

• The TYCW was evaluated through a randomized

controlled trial (RCT).

Study Flow Chart (2010-2012)

Inclusion Criteria

N = 101

Attrition

n = 91

Wait-list (Control)

n = 46

Tutoring

n = 45

Tutoring Selection Criteria

Long-term foster/kinship care

Grades 1-8, inclusive

Behind Academically (IQ>70)

Commitment to 30 weeks

English as Primary Language

Severe Behavioural Problems

Excluded

Descriptive Statistics

• Participants (Total number = 91)

– Average age = 9.9 years.

– Attrition Rate = 9.9%

– 78.2% Aboriginal.

Aboriginal

Non-Aboriginal

Unknown

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of Primary Placements

Descriptive Statistics

75

80

85

90

95

100

Word Reading SentenceComprehension

Spelling Math

Me

an

Sta

nd

ard

Sc

ore

Intervention (n=45)

Control (n=46)

Very Low

Below

Average

Average

Primary Results

F (1,88) =15.82, p < .001, g = 0.4

Primary Results

F (1,88) = 5.62, p = .02, g = 0.25 F (1,88) = 4.18, p = .044, g = 0.34

Primary Results

F (1,86) = 1.97, p = ns, g = 0.15

Anecdotal Results

• Improved behaviour while in group for most

• Positive social environment and peer

relationships (group-based model)

• Motivation rather than resistance to tutoring

sessions

Final Remarks

• DI beneficial model for improving academic

achievement for children in care.

• Effective with Aboriginal Canadian youth.

• Delivery of DI in group-based format.

Future Directions

• Are gains maintained at long-term follow-up?

• Role of other moderators (e.g. gender)?

• Impact of improved educational achievement on

mental health indicators.

• Cost Benefit/Cost Effectiveness Analysis.

• Great need for larger-sampled and randomized

studies and replication (Forsman & Vinnerljung, 2012).

Acknowledgement

• A big Thank You to the Thunder Bay Crown

Ward Championship team, especially Dilico

Anishinabek Family Care and Children’s Aid

Society of the District of Thunder Bay, for their

ongoing support and implementation of this

program and the funding provided through the

Ministry of Children and Youth Services,

Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of

Training, Colleges and Universities.

References

Blome, W. W. (1997) What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a

random sample of foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work

Journal, 14, 41-53, doi: 10.1023/A:1024592813809

Borman, G. D., Hewes, G. M., Overman, L. T., & Brown, S. (2003). Comprehensive school reform and achievment: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 73, 125-230

Casey, k., Hagaman, J., Trout, A. L., Reid, R., Chmelka, B., Thompson, R., & Daly, D. (2008). Children with ADHD in residential care. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17, 909-927

Cole, K.N., Dale, P.S., Mills, P.E., & Jenkins, J.R. (1993). Interaction between early intervention curricula and student characteristics. Exceptional Children, 60, 17- 28.

Courtney, M., Piliavin, I., Grogan-Kaylor, A., & Nesmith, A. (2001). Foster youth transitions to adulthood: A longitudinal view of youth leaving care. Child Welfare, 80, 685-717.

Forsman, H., & Vinnerljung, B. (2012). Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home

care: A scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 1084-1091. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.037.

Flynn, R. J., & Biro, C. (1998). Comparing developmental outcomes for children in care

with those for other children in Canada. Children & Society, 12, 228-233. doi: 10.1111/j.1099-0860.1998.tb00070.x

Flynn, R. J., Ghazal, H., Legault, L., Vandermeulen, G., & Petrick, S. (2004). Use of population measures and norms to

identify resilient outcomes in young people in care: An exploratory study. Child and Family Social Work, 9, 65-79. doi:

10.1111/j.1365-2206.2004.00322.

Flynn, R. J., Marquis, R., Paquet, M-P., Peeke, L. M., & Aubry, T. (2012). Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on

foster children’s academic skills: randomized trial. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 1183-1189.

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.036.

Goerge, R. M., Bilaver, L., Lee, B. J., Needell, B., Brookhart, A., & Jackman, W. (2002). Employment outcomes for youth aging out of foster care: Final Report

Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (2011). Children’s well-being: The Ontarian perspective. Child Welfare Report 2011

Trout, A. L., Hagaman, J., Casey, K., Reid, R., & Epstein, M. H. (2008). The academic status of children and youth in out-of-home care: A review of the literature. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 979-994.

Vacca, J. S. (2008). Breaking the cycle of academic failure for foster children- What can the schools do to help? Children and Youth Services Review, 30(9), 1081-1087.